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HF 039
7:07:15 PM Josh: Ok, I'm going to start with the background. 7:07:33 PM Josh: So, previously... 7:09:49 PM Josh: After a long and (mostly) crisis-free festival, you guys went to the parade/party you were invited to. Among the crowd was your crime lord +1, the various nominees for guild positions, your gnome boss, some dignitaries from different nations, but especially the Draconic Empire, and the ambassadors, including human ambassador Sarron Dynne and his daughter, the Princess Saheera. 7:11:15 PM Josh: During the parade, at a point where the Draconic dignitary and Witch Hunter nominee, Jarqin K'lseth, was about to reveal his two allied dragons, the event was instead interrupted by the falling corpse of Zharn Dynne, apparently murdered. 7:12:03 PM Josh: While you were all quick to investigate and thorough in your search, the perpetrator got away, however, you were able to learn from the corpse that the killer was a being, cloaked in black with "inhuman eyes". 7:12:32 PM Josh: You also learned that Zharn was invited to come by some unknown third party. 7:13:55 PM Josh: You found, around the crime scene, the murder weapon, a dagger of unknown origin, a mundane dagger on the roof, a teleportation stone in Zharn's pocket, the ash from a "Message" spell in the bathroom. 7:14:26 PM Josh: Having collected a party guest list and some testimony, you returned home to sleep. 7:15:18 PM Quill: Quill would have shown everyone else the notes he found on Zharn, once they were home. 7:15:27 PM Josh: Right. Ok. 7:15:45 PM Quill: Found these in a secret pocket on him. 7:16:09 PM Rune: Rune peers. 7:16:25 PM Rune: What does it say? 7:16:33 PM Quill: No idea. 7:16:37 PM Josh: The papers Quill holds out include a note in a script you cannot understand, and a smaller, more square piece of paper that appears to be smudged badly. 7:16:54 PM Rune: Rune casts Comprehend Languages and checks it again. 7:18:09 PM Rune: Bother, I think it's a code. 7:18:15 PM Rune: The spell didn't work. 7:18:40 PM Josh: Taeral looks at the second sheet of paper. 7:18:52 PM Rune: Rune does too. 7:18:59 PM Quill: Can you make anything of these, Taeral? 7:19:43 PM Josh: Taeral: "This paper appears to have been smudged with an illusion spell of some kind. Minor, probably. 7:19:53 PM Creed: "Code?" Creed's attention perks a little. 7:20:09 PM Quill: Yeah, can you make anything of this, Creed? 7:20:18 PM Creed: Creed will take a look 7:20:26 PM Rune: Maybe Anna can dispel it. 7:20:40 PM Quill: Quill eyes the smudge. "Well, a minor illusion will only last so long." 7:21:38 PM Quill: Quill tries disbeliving the illusion! ((Is that still a thing?)) 7:22:03 PM Creed: (( i'd say insight, probably )) 7:22:10 PM Josh: ((Disbelieving? No. Probably not.)) 7:23:40 PM Josh: ((I am unsure what spells Anna has, but I'll allow that she has dispel and say she uses it)) 7:24:22 PM Rune: ((She normally does have it.)) 7:24:26 PM Josh: She casts it on the smaller paper and an image appears. Not a drawing. Seems like something caught in a "capture image" device like Herman uses. 7:24:46 PM Quill: ((It's one of Zharn's selfies.)) 7:25:01 PM Josh: It depicts Zharn in a state of undress with a tiefling woman in a greater state of undress engaging in...adult activities. 7:25:13 PM Quill: Oh. 7:25:15 PM Quill: Huh. 7:25:41 PM Quill: Oh, maybe he was being blackmailed. Maybe it wasn't a sexy rendezvous. 7:26:14 PM Rune: ... that looks awkward, doesn't it? How is she hanging on? 7:26:24 PM Quill: Magic, maybe. 7:26:28 PM Creed: "Well... All I can get from this is 'You' 'be' and 'there'." 7:26:32 PM Josh: Taeral: "I think that's her tail doing that" 7:26:38 PM Quill: Spider Climb? 7:27:18 PM Rune: Oh, you're right! There it is. ... She must do exercises with it or something, I can barely hold a newspaper with mine. 7:27:23 PM Josh: For the record, those looking closely at the picture do not recognize the tiefling, but can make out a marking of a heart, broken in two, on her left shoulder blade. 7:27:44 PM Quill: Anyone recognize the tattoo? 7:28:43 PM Creed: "I.. don't recognize it, no." 7:28:51 PM Josh: Taeral: "Not something I know." 7:29:15 PM Quill: ((25 history?)) 7:29:31 PM Rune: ((and 23 arcana.)) 7:31:46 PM Rune: I don't think we should let his family see that. It might make them uncomfortable. 7:31:57 PM Rune: ... or possibly envious. I mean, they don't have tails. 7:32:27 PM Quill: Hmmm. The broken heart, it's a common symbol for brothels. 7:33:13 PM Rune: Well, yes, of course she's a professional. I don't think amateurs can do that. 7:33:41 PM Quill: Yeah, I think he was getting blackmailed. Someone probably threatened to make this public to his father, or maybe back home in Humanton. 7:34:13 PM Josh: Taeral: "Seems likely." 7:34:35 PM Rune: Just because she's a tiefling? Really? 7:34:35 PM Hank: Still leaves the question why that location at that time? 7:35:41 PM Quill: To raise tensions between the dragonborn and the humans. 7:36:15 PM Creed: "And yet she still smears the tieflings in the end." 7:36:17 PM Quill: Quill shrugs. 7:37:05 PM Quill: The lady here was probably just an employee. Zharn probably went to a brothel, and someone got some images while he was there. 7:37:24 PM Quill: This lady probably had nothing to do with it. 7:37:31 PM Quill: ... probably. 7:37:32 PM Creed: "It's possible." 7:37:37 PM Quill: I'm not ruling anything out, mind you. 7:38:27 PM Quill: We should figure out if Zharn frequented any particular brothels here in the city. 7:38:30 PM Rune: I thought brothels always blackmailed people or sold information. 7:38:42 PM Hank: How close would someone have to be to get that image? 7:40:39 PM Quill: ((Can we tell anything about the surroundings in the image?)) 7:42:19 PM Josh: ((Roll perception)) 7:42:44 PM Quill: ((17)) 7:42:56 PM Rune: It depends. IF it was taken through a window the person could've been across the street. 7:43:15 PM Quill: Quill peers at the picture, putting a hand over distracting Zharn butt to focus on the setting. 7:43:20 PM Rune: Or in the room. 7:43:48 PM Rune: He's got a lot of energy but he's all over the place. I suppose she didn't matter a bit to him so it doesn't matter. 7:43:53 PM Rune: Rune is decidedly unimpressed. 7:47:35 PM Quill: Yeah, I can't tell anything about the room other than it's very nice. 7:47:52 PM Rune: Do you see any odd reflections or anything that shouldn't be there? 7:48:03 PM Rune: We might be able to at least tell if it was taken through a window. 7:48:07 PM Quill: Lots of natural light. 7:49:34 PM Rune: Difficult to say, then. 7:50:11 PM Quill: No reflections, that I can tell. Maybe it was taken in the room. 7:52:58 PM Hank: So our goals for tommorrow as far as I can tell are to check out Zharns rooms and try and find out any brothels he went to? 7:53:00 PM Rune: What do you think, Creed? And Hank? 7:53:13 PM Rune: Rune makes a face. 7:53:26 PM Rune: I don't think I want to go to a brothel again. The people are nice, but it's sort of creepy. 7:55:48 PM Quill: Creed, you know anyone that could decode this, do you think? 7:55:54 PM Quill: Quill holds up the coded message. 7:57:19 PM Creed: "Mmm... I might know someone." 7:58:19 PM Rune: Not Jelly. 7:58:33 PM Josh: Taeral: "Jelly?" 7:59:09 PM Creed: "Who is Jelly?" 7:59:09 PM Hank: The current nickname for Darksbane apparently. 7:59:11 PM Rune: Marmalade. 7:59:12 PM Rune: Jam. 7:59:17 PM Creed: "Oh." 7:59:22 PM Josh: Taeral: "Oh...why not?" 7:59:51 PM Rune: Because he grew up with him. He's compromised. 8:00:03 PM Quill: We're already in pretty deep with him. It would be nice to not need to turn to him everytime we have questions, anyway. 8:01:30 PM Hank: How are we in deep with him, I thought us taking him to the party made us even? 8:02:48 PM Rune: Maybe, but we're also using him to pick up tips on the murder from criminals. 8:03:36 PM Quill: We need other contacts. 8:03:39 PM Rune: Tomorrow we also need to go visit the children in the sewers, and question all the ambassadors and their staffs. 8:04:28 PM Creed: "We have other contacts." 8:05:16 PM Hank: I am sure William and the rest of the guard can handle the standard interrogation of everyone who was there. 8:05:55 PM Quill: Yeah. We're not the only ones on this case. 8:06:26 PM Rune: Thankfully, or we'd probably have to back off as well. 8:07:13 PM Josh: Taeral: "It seems as though all your magic questions are answered. I believe I shall go to bed." 8:07:35 PM Rune: Oh! Did the girls help you move one down there? ... are you sure it's safe? 8:08:25 PM Josh: Taeral: "You mean Torra and Helga? Yes. And I believe it is safe. I have placed some protective wards around the gate rune. Just in case." 8:09:01 PM Rune: Oh, actually I meant the Erinyes! But yes, that helps. 8:09:23 PM Josh: Taeral: "Oh, no. Haven't really seen them, honestly. They mostly keep to themselves." 8:10:01 PM Rune: Oh, all right. 8:10:05 PM Rune: ... well, good night. 8:10:10 PM Rune: Rune hugs him. Squoosh. 8:10:19 PM Josh: Taeral hugs back. "Good night." 8:10:58 PM Quill: Quill waves. "Night, Taeral." 8:11:30 PM Hank: Can I have a quick word with you Taeral before you go to bed? 8:11:38 PM Josh: Taeral: "Certainly." 8:12:01 PM Quill: Quill scratches his head. 8:12:19 PM Quill: Well. Staring at this stuff isn't gonna get us any further tonight. And it's been a long one. 8:12:23 PM Creed: Creed takes the note 8:12:39 PM Creed: "I'll go get this deciphered. Go get some sleep.” 8:12:48 PM Quill: I don't sleep. 8:12:54 PM Rune: ... I don't think you should go alone. 8:12:55 PM Creed: “Take the luxury.” 8:13:01 PM Josh: Taeral and Hank walk towards the cellar. 8:13:02 PM Rune: Oh, take Quill! He doesn't have to sleep. 8:13:16 PM Quill: Like, physically, I don't sleep. Elf. Don't be Somnist. 8:13:43 PM Creed: “Alright alright, you can come.” 8:13:44 PM Quill: Yeah, I'll go with you, if you want. 8:13:59 PM Quill: I just get the feeling we got eyes on us now. 8:14:16 PM Rune: Yes. And, well. It's not safe. 8:14:20 PM Creed: “You get used to it after gaining enemies.” 8:14:56 PM Rune: Rune stoops awkwardly and hugs Quill. "Try not to die very much." 8:15:47 PM Quill: I'll do my best. 8:15:58 PM Quill: Quill kisses her cheeks and heads out. 8:16:06 PM Creed: Creed will head out as well 8:16:15 PM Rune: Hmm. 8:16:42 PM Rune: Rune checks on Max, and Gerald, and the girls. Probably in that order. 9:40:24 PM Josh: I am back. 9:40:44 PM Quill: Quill comes in and closes the door behind them before going "AHHHHHHHHH" 9:41:18 PM Josh: Hank is in the room. 9:41:25 PM Hank: Whats wrong Quill? 9:41:36 PM Creed: “Run in with Pale Drow.” 9:41:48 PM Quill: Good news! The drow vampires are very sorry about the hallucination bomb. 9:41:59 PM Hank: Really? 9:42:06 PM Quill: They feel terrible about harming me and my slaves. 9:42:10 PM Creed: “They also think we’re his slaves.” 9:42:16 PM Rune: Rune runs in. 9:42:19 PM Creed: “And the kids too.” 9:42:22 PM Rune: What's going on? 9:42:33 PM Rune: What slaves? ... what kids? 9:42:39 PM Hank: Apparently we are Quills slaves. 9:42:48 PM Quill: The Pale Drow think I'm a slaver. They're super sorry about harming me or my slaves. 9:42:49 PM Rune: ... what? According to who? 9:43:00 PM Quill: According to a messenger from Lysaga. 9:43:08 PM Rune: ... oh. Why do they think that? 9:43:14 PM Quill: Quill shrugs. 9:43:25 PM Quill: I played nice. 9:43:34 PM Quill: I figured we didn't need MORE enemies. 9:43:45 PM Rune: ... are you sure you're not a prince or... no, Drow are matriarchal, aren't they? Do they have princes? 9:44:20 PM Quill: Oh, yeah, there are. Just no kings. Just hyphen princes. 9:44:39 PM Quill: Prince-Consort, that sort of thing. 9:45:17 PM Rune: Oh, I see, they can't rule on their own. Although I'm sure some of them have managed, in history, because somebody always finds a way to break rules like that. Anyway, are you sure you're not one? Positive? 9:45:31 PM Quill: As far as I know. 9:45:54 PM Quill: Anyway. We were told that we should look forward to the coming Age of the Spider. 9:45:58 PM Quill: So we got that going for us. 9:46:13 PM Hank: That doesn't sound ominous at all. 9:46:28 PM Quill: Anyway! More on topic. Creed got the note translated. 9:46:33 PM Rune: Which spider? 9:46:43 PM Quill: Captial S spider. 9:47:05 PM Rune: Lolth, then? 9:47:08 PM Hank: What does the note say then? 9:47:30 PM Quill: I don't know if they worship Lolth. Or if it's a metaphor spider. 9:48:04 PM Quill: Oh, it says that someone was unhappy that Zharn was going home and dodging a meeting. 9:48:16 PM Rune: Oh, like ... some sort of race war? ((Oh god, I don't wanna see Drowish Lady Trump.)) 9:48:26 PM Quill: So they threated him with the pictures unless he came and met with him. 9:48:46 PM Rune: Oh. 9:49:08 PM Rune: ... I'm surprised the pictures would be that threatening, though. It's not like he's marrying her or saying he loves her or something like that. 9:49:45 PM Quill: I'm wondering if he was supposed to be assassinated, though. Or if it was just something that happened. 9:50:08 PM Rune: Oh, by the people who met him or by someone else. 9:50:20 PM Rune: Or he could even have stopped someone from murdering somebody else, like his father. 9:50:40 PM Rune: ... I think he cared a lot about what his father thought. 9:50:41 PM Quill: Maybe he was being blackmailed, and wanted to put an end to it, so he attacked who he was meeting with. 9:52:01 PM Josh: Gerald: "We cannot say for certain. I believe I shall be off to bed, then, if you no longer require me, Ms. Rune." 9:52:20 PM Quill: Anything happened here while we were gone? 9:53:17 PM Rune: Of course! Goodnight, Gerald. 9:53:27 PM Rune: Oh, Belza's armor doesn't fit anymore so we're going to get her some maternity armor. 9:54:22 PM Josh: Waldo: "Which led to the least interesting all girl feel-up session ever. Honestly, I have seen nursing homes hotter than what happened there." 9:54:32 PM Josh: Waldo: "...well, no I haven't, but I assume." 9:54:48 PM Rune: Gerald's not a girl. Is he? 9:55:18 PM Josh: Waldo: "Great, now it's even worse." 9:55:20 PM Quill: I would assume he would have told us if he prefered other pronouns. 9:55:44 PM Rune: ... wouldn't he? Oh dear. 9:56:13 PM Josh: Gerald: "...I am still here. And I am most certainly not a girl, thank you very much." 9:56:19 PM Hank: I think we are done for the night. We should get some rest and continue this in the morning. 9:56:24 PM Quill: Quill nods. 9:56:31 PM Josh: Gerald leaves. 9:56:37 PM Rune: Oh, good. Well, not that it matters, but I'd hate to have been getting it wrong all along. 9:56:40 PM Quill: Good idea. 9:56:42 PM Rune: Rune nods. 9:56:58 PM Josh: Ok, should I jump to tomorrow morning? 9:57:21 PM Hank: ((Fine with me )) 9:57:23 PM Rune: ((Sure!)) 9:57:44 PM Josh: Ok then, it is an uneventful night after that, and the next morning comes. 9:58:24 PM Josh: I assume there is a gathering for breakfast. 9:58:51 PM Rune: Rune wanders in and immediately looks for tea, and makes some if there isn't any. 9:59:06 PM Josh: Gerald has just gotten the kettle going. 9:59:31 PM Josh: Taeral and Hank would already be there. Hank has a few new stakes around him. 10:00:06 PM Hank: Morning Rune. 10:00:21 PM Rune: ... oh, for vampires? That's thinking ahead. 10:00:59 PM Rune: Good morning! 10:02:39 PM Hank: Hank will collect the stakes and clean up the wood shavings. 10:03:26 PM Josh: Taeral: "So, should we wait for the others, or begin planning our plans for the day?" 10:04:16 PM Rune: Well... we should probably split up into groups. 10:05:08 PM Hank: Really you think we should split up? 10:05:18 PM Quill: It's more efficient that way. 10:05:20 PM Rune: But no one should go anywhere alone. 10:05:36 PM Quill: Yeah. 10:05:45 PM Quill: We can communicate over the badges now. 10:06:11 PM Josh: Gerald: "Well, I believe my top priority today would be taking Ms. Belza's measurements to Helga." 10:06:14 PM Rune: Right. And if you meet any Drow vampires tell them they need to talk to your master about it. 10:06:18 PM Rune: Right. 10:07:01 PM Josh: Taeral: "Could you go see Flare, as well? I am in need of at least some new undergarments." 10:07:13 PM Josh: Taeral: "He should remember my sizes." 10:08:07 PM Josh: Gerald nods. 10:08:28 PM Hank: So how many groups and where are we going? 10:10:01 PM Quill: Hmmm. Someone should see if we can check out Zharn's quarters. 10:10:10 PM Rune: Well, we need to talk to the children, too. To see if they've heard anything. 10:10:16 PM Quill: Good idea. 10:10:37 PM Hank: So a sewer group and a citadel group. 10:11:26 PM Rune: I'll go to the children, if anyone wants to come. 10:11:34 PM Hank: I will go to the citadel. 10:11:49 PM Quill: I'll go with Rune. 10:12:29 PM Quill: Oh, another question to ask... this code was fifty or so years old. We need to figure out who would use a code like that, and if it's strange that Zharn could read it. 10:13:26 PM Rune: It's old? 10:14:14 PM Quill: Quill nods. "Doreth had to get out an old book to translate. Apparently it's got some abyssal runes in there." 10:14:36 PM Josh: ((I think we may have lost Creed)) 10:15:35 PM Rune: ((Grah. :( )) 10:16:03 PM Josh: ((He will be back, I'm sure. We'll work out who he went with when he does.)) 10:17:33 PM Hank: Can I have the coded note then so I can ask people in the city about it? 10:18:25 PM Rune: ((Okay. We can always say Anna or Taeral go with Hank if he chooses us! SOMEONE has to go with Hank.)) 10:18:51 PM Josh: ((I'll send Anna with Hank in cat form)) 10:20:43 PM Creed: (( I'm back )) 10:20:59 PM Creed: Creed hands the note to Hank 10:21:30 PM Rune: ((Woot!)) 10:21:59 PM Josh: ((There are two groups. A citadel group going to investigate Zharn's room, and a sewer group going to talk with Dodger.)) 10:22:10 PM Creed: (( going with zharns room )) 10:23:02 PM Josh: ((Ok, how is everyone getting where they're going?)) 10:23:53 PM Quill: ((We can walk.)) 10:24:10 PM Rune: Rune can walk, since they'll have to in the sewers anyway. 10:26:46 PM Quill: Quill heads out with Rune! 10:26:49 PM Hank: You guys take the carriage we can use Kai. 10:27:03 PM Rune: We'd have to have a driver if we did, and we don't have one as Gerald's busy. 10:27:33 PM Rune: It's all right, I need the exercise anyway. Or we can try to get a taxi. 10:27:39 PM Quill: I can drive it, you know. 10:27:53 PM Rune: Well yes, but then we'd leave it somewhere without an attendant? It'd get stolen. 10:28:15 PM Quill: That's a good point. 10:28:28 PM Hank: It hasn't yet. It is kind of beat up looking. 10:28:39 PM Quill: Nah, we'll be fine without. 10:29:15 PM Rune: Rune nods. 10:29:17 PM Rune: All right. 10:29:28 PM Josh: Ok, groups, separate. 11:27:20 PM Josh: Ok, both groups seem to have hit a good stopping point, so we will pick this up next week.